Israel snubs visiting Swedish foreign minister

The Israeli government has refused to meet with visiting Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, in what sources claimed is a deliberate, politically-motivated snub.

According to a report in Haaretz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to meet with the senior diplomat, and no other government representative will meet with Wallström either.

The paper reported that the Swedish government contacted Israel last week to try to arrange meetings for Wallström with Netanyahu (who also serves as foreign minister).

An unnamed senior official in Israel’s foreign ministry said the official explanation for rejecting the approach was scheduling conflicts. The real reason, however, was “unhappiness with Sweden’s policy on the Israeli-Palestinian issue in general, and Wallstrom’s own statements in particular.”

Wallström’s visit to the region, which includes talks with the Palestinian Authority, comes ahead of Sweden’s two-year term on the UN Security Council, which starts on 1 January. Sweden is also expected to serve as the council’s rotating president next month.

Read: Exclusive interview with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström